Machine for shelling and polishing grain and the like



g M. HOFF MACHINE FOR SHELLING AND POLISHING GRAIN AND THE LIKE Filed June 12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 T T 5 N W s BY 45 mm HT 1,640,996 Aug. 30, 1927. M. HOFF MACHINE FOR SHELLING AND POLISHING GRAIN AND THE LIKE Filed June 12, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 30,1927. 1,640,996

M. HOFF MACHINE FOR SHELLING AND POLISHING GRAIN AND THE LIKE Aug. 30, 1927. 96

M. HOFF MACHINE FOR SHELLING AND POLISHING GRAIN AND THE LIKE Filed June 12, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 4 3a 5 Jr MH/FTl/V f/oFF BY,

g M. HOFF MACHINE FOR SHELLING AND POLISHING GRAIN AND THE LIKE Filed June 12, 1924 g Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

GETBEIDESCHKLMASCHINE G. B. H..

A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

I MACHINE FOR SHELLING AND POLISHING GRAIN AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 12, 1924, Serial No. 719,519, an d in Germany July 17, 1923.

i The invention relates to machines for shelling, polishing and otherwise treatlng grain,

legumes, clover seed and the like and more one chamber to another takes place; conse-' quently it is difficult to adapt the machine to all conditions which may arise. 0

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above disadvantages by providing a simple and efficient machine in.

' which a plurality of shelling chambers are at all times filled with material and concurrently used in the treatment thereof and the full capacity of the machine is constantly utilized. The invention further contemplates a novel arrangement whereby the operative periods may be adjusted in accordance with a predetermined schedule. In addition the invention provides an improved construction and arrangement of paddles, in the shelling chambers, whereby the treatment of the material is rendered more efficient and uniform and the operation of the machine is simplified. Other objects of the invention will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate examples of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figs. 3, and 4 are fragmentary side views illustrating the parts in different positions; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a regulating mechanism in-' cluded in the machine, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a similar View on is a fragmentary cross-section thereof; Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing another form of paddles; Figs. 12 and 13 are views corresponding to Figs. 9 and 10 showing still anotherar'rangementof paddles; Figs. 14 and 15 are fragmentary views illustrating a. filling hopper and mechanism for controlling the same, the parts being shown in different positions and Fig. 16 is a yiiew showing the adjusting means in de- In its illustrated form the machine con- OFFENIBACH-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY,

sists of a stationary casing A in which a plurality of cylindrical shelling chambers 1, 2 and 3 are located in axial registry with each other; the chambers are separated from ,each other by means of intermediate chambets 4 and 5 as shownin Fig. 1. Suitable 'means such as shown for instance in United States Patent #1,375,592 issued to Leopold Kaspar on April 19, 1921, may be provided whereby communication between adjacent shelling chambers is established at the proper times in the operation of the machine. The intermediate chambers 4 and 5 may in clude suitable apertures through which ventilation of the shelling chambers may take place as in the aforesaid patent; likewise a suitable fan may be provided, as in said patent, for removing substances emanating from the shelling chambers. The substances referred to may, if desired, be collected, for

instance by means of a worm conveyor as in said patent, and conveyed to the compartment in which the fan is located. To permit the substances, which generally comprise dust, chaff, shelled husks and the like, to pass out of the shelling chambers, 1, 2 and 3, the latter may be provided with sieves suitably located for the intended purposes and of such mesh as to prevent the grain or the like from passing therethrough; this sieve arrangement may also correspond to that of the aforesaid patent. As so far described the machine may be of any customary and Well known construction, the parts described forming no part of the invention except in combination with features to be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The shelling chambers 1, 2 and 5 are provided with movable covers 6, 7 and 8 which control openings B in the shelling chambers and are operated at the proper time and in predetermined sequence by mechanism to tively thereto.

the shelling chambers 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

The compartments C in turn are located above and communicate with a sub-casing D fixed upon the casing A and extending lengthwise thereof as shown in Fig. 1; the

sub-casing D is provided at the proper points with chutes E which lead to the interior of the intermediate chambers 4 and 5, the latter in turn being provided interiorly with chutes F communicating respectively with the interior of the shellingchambets 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 1. The subcasing, by means of a chute G, further communicates witha hopper or the like 9 located at one end of the machine. A conveying screw H is mounted within the sub-casing D and is carried by a shaft I journalled in suitable bearings and projecting beyond the sub-casing at one end thereof; a pulley J is fixed upon the projecting portion of said shaft I and is connected by means of a belt K with a pulley L secured upon the main sljaft 23 to be more fully referred to hereina ter.

The adjustment of the covers 6, 7 and 8 to the open position indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4 is accomplished by means of cams 11, 12 and 13 suitably mounted in predetermined relation to each other upon a shaft- 10 located above the covers andjournalled in suitable bearings; the cams 11, 12 and 13 are arranged to engage members M forming part of or connected with the covers 6, 7 and 8, it being understood that the latter are sup orted upon the machine so as to be capab e of pivotal movements rela- Upon one end of the shaft 10 a gear wheel 14 is mounted which is 5 formed with an eccentric or cam section 15 and which is arranged to be periodically driven by means of a pinion 16; the latter is carried by a bell-crank lever 18 pivoted at 17 upon the casing A. A spring 19 having its one end connected with the casing A and its other end attached to the lever 18 exerts a tension on the latter tending to press the pinion 16 into toothed engagement with the gear wheel 14. A gear 20 is fixed upon the shaft which carries the pinion 16 and meshes with a pinion 21 rotatably mounted upon the pivot 17 and connected to move with a belt and pulley drive 22, which in turn is operated by the previously mentioned main shaft 23. The latter may be actuated in any suitable manner as by means of a pulley Nconuected through the medium of a customary belt with a source of power.

The shaft 10 is operated in the direction ofthe arrows in Figs. 2 and 4 as long as the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 4 in which the pinion is in meshwith the toothed sectorof the gear 14; this condition maintains during the period of time during which material is introduced into the machine, transferred from one shelling chamher to another and passed out of the machine as will appear more fully hereinafter.

During the period of time in which the. shelling or other operations are being performed in the chambers 1, 2 and 3 the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the pinion 16 is held out of mesh with the gear 14 and the shaft 10 with its associated elements is stationary.

The means whereby the mechanism is maintained in the last named positions comprises a, tongue 24 pivoted at 29 upon the lever 18 and contro led by a spring 30 in the manner to be described furtheron in the specification. The tongue 24 is arranged for (Io-operation With a threaded shaft 25 suitably jo'urnalled in a housing 32 fixed upon one of the compartments C or other suitable part of the machine; as shown in Fig. 5 the shaft 25 terminates at a distance from one end wall of the housing 32 to provide a space a, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter. The threaded shaft 25 carries a worm-gear 26 in mesh with a worm pinion 27; the latter is carried by a shaft b journalled in the housing 32, said shaft b in turn being provided with a pulley 0 connected by means of a belt 28 with a pulley fixed upon the shaft which carries the pinion 21 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Nhen the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 4 the tongue 24 projects, through a slot or opening 33 with which the housing 32 is provided, beyond the free end of the threaded shaft 25 into the space a. The lever 18 is thereby free to assume a position in which the pinion 16 is in mesh with the toothed sector of the gear 14.

When however the elements are in the positions shown in Fig. 3 the tongue 24 projects through the slot 33 into engagement with the shaft 25 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 so that the lever 18 is held in the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the pinion 16 is disengaged from the gear 14. As the shaft 25 is rotated, its thread, by acting uponthe tongue 24 will gradually swing the same on its pivot against the tensionof the spring and cause the end of said tongue to travel towards and finally beyond the end of said shaft 25 whereupon said tongue will again pass into the space'a.

To'predetermine the period of time which is to elapse between the adjustment of the that shown in Fig. 4 or in other words to predetermine the period of time during" parts from the position shownin Fig. 3 to which treatment of thematerial in the shelling chambers is to be maintained, the following means is provided. As shown in Fig. 5

that part of the housing in which the shaft is positioned is cylindrical in form and is screw-threaded to accommodate an internally screw-threaded abutment ring 31; the

latter-serves as a stop to arrest the pivotal movement of the tongue 24 under the 1nfiu-' ence of the spring 30. To facilitate the adjustment and to visibly indicate the same a suitable scale 34 may be provided upon the housing 32 in co-operative relation to said abutment ring 31. Y v j As illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 the walls 35 of the shelling chambers 1, 2 and 3 are provided upon their inner faces with linings 36 of a character and type suitable to the treatments to be carried out in said chambers. Within the latter, paddle wheels 37 are mounted upon the shaft 23 so as to rotate therewith, the peripheries of said wheels being spaced; from the'linings 36. Upon their peripheries the paddle wheels 37 are provided with a series of spaced paddles 38 which are constructed in the form of thin plates of suitable material. The paddles 38 are movably or pivotally attached to the wheels 37 by means of stirrups or eyelets 39 fixed upon said wheels and engaged in suitable apertures in the paddles; the latter are 7 thus capable of independent swinging move ments relatively to the wheels and to each other and are enabled to swing toeither side of a radial position. Because of the fact that the paddles are constructed in the form of thin plates they may be located in close proximity to each other upon the wheels whereby the efficiency of the machine for its intended purposes is materially increased.

In the form shown in Fig. 11 the paddles 3.8, which are preferably also in the form of thin plates, slightly curved, are provided with lugs 40 which are pivotally mounted upon rods or the like 41; the latter are fixed upon the paddle wheel 37 and constitute the means whereby said paddles 38 are pivotally supported upon said wheel. The paddles are all provided with rearward extensions 42 which serve as counterweights and absorb a part of the centrifugal force developed in the paddles 38 when the machine is in ope eration; at the same time the extensions 42, by engagement with fixed stops 43' located at the proper points upon the wheel 37, may arrest the movements of the paddles in outward directions and thus predetermine their outermost positions. The latter are so calculated that the space between the outer edges of the paddles and-the'inner surfaces of the shelling chambers, corresponds approximately to the thickness of a kernel treated.

In some cases the. stops 43 may be adjustably arrangedon the wheel 37 to vary the outermost position of the paddles 38*. F urthermore, 'if'desired, the pivots of the paddles may be adjustable on the wheel in radial dlrectlons, either by shifting the lugs 40 or the rods 41. In this form also, the paddles terial will assume positions transverse to the paddles in which case only the points of said kernels would be acted'upon.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 12 and '13 the wheels 37 b are provided with fixed blades 44 on which the paddles 38 are pivotally mounted bymeans of links or the like 39"; as shown in Fig. 13 each of the paddles 38 consists of a plurality of adjacent and independently movable sections. blades 44 may be adjustable uponthe wheels 37 in radial directions in orderto vary the adjustment ofthe addles with respect to the lines 36 of the sl elling chambers.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15 the hopper 9 is provided with a chamber 46 in which is located a downwardly directed funnel 47 the exit end of which is controlled by means of a closing plate49 carried by a shaft 48 roiatably mounted in the chamber 46.

A spring 50 located exteriorly of the chamber 46 at one side thereof is connected with said shaft 48 in a manner to move the plate 49 towards its closing position illustrated in Fig. 15. At the opposite side of said chamber 46 an arm 51 isfixed upon the shaft 48 and is connected by means of a rod 52 with a bell-crank lever 54 pivoted at 53 upon the machine. The free end 55 of this lever 54 is arranged for instance to engage a cam disk 57 carried for instance upon the shaft 10 and preferably comprising two sections 58 and 59 arranged in surface engagement with each other as shown in Fig.-

16; the two sections 58 and '59 are recessed as indicated at 60 and are circumferentially adjustable relatively to each other to vary the circumferential dimensions of said recess pletely close and to completely open the recess 50. In order to visibly indicate the adjustment, one of the sections 58 or 59 may or other unit of the material being 1 If desired the be provided with a suitable scale 63 arranged for co-operation with a suitable indicating mark 64 upon the other section; it is thus possible to accurately setthe sections b8 and 59 with respect to each other to provide the desired length in the peripheral surface of the cam disk 57.

2 and 3 the operation Will be as follows:

Suitable power being applied to the pulley N, the main shaft 23 of the machine will be rotated and accordingly will cause the paddles 38, 38, 38 as the case maybe, to. travel in proximity to the lnnng 36 ol the various shelling: chambers 1., 2 and 3. The operation of the paddles and the action thereby upon the grain or other material will be more fully referred to further on. At this stage the parts occupy approximately the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in Whic the pinion 16 is held out of engagement with the teeth of the gear 1d by reason of the fact that the tongue 2a is in engagement with the screw threaded shaft 25. As the latter is being; rotated during the operation or the machine the threads of the shaft 25 will gradually move the tongue 2d along the same toward the space a. As the tongue 2d finally reaches the free end oi the shaft 25, it will be projected-into the space a, by the action of a spring; 19 upon the lever 18, and accordingly will throw the pinion 16 into mesh with the toothed sector oil the gear 1d. llhe point at which this re-enga ement oi the pinion 16 with the egear l4 tallies place, corresponds with the end of the predetermined periods during which treatment of the material in the shelling chambers talres place. its the gear it now rotates in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 2 and i, the cam 11, by acting upon the proper member M "will swing; the same in a direction to move the cover to its open position so that the contents oil the chamber 3 will be removed therefrom. "When this emptying has been completed the cover 6 will be closed and the cam 12 by acting upon its cooperating member ill will swine the cover 7 to its open position. As this occurs the material in the chamber 2 will be passed into the sub casing l); as the conveying screw H in this sub-casing D is in rotation at the time, the said material will be transferred thereby and discharged through the proper chute Fl upon the cooperating; chute F, and into the chamber 3. As soon as this operation has been completed. the door 7 will be closed and the door 8 will be brought to its open position by the action of the cam 13 upon its cooperating member M.- Thereupon the material in the chamber it will enterthe subcasing D and will be fed along" the same, by the conveyor Ill and transferred to the chamher 2 by way of the proper chutes E and F. At the proper time the cover 8 will be closed and the closing plate 49 will be adjusted to its open position indicated in Fig. 14, so that a fresh charge of material will use through the chute G into the first shel ing chamber 1. The described operations of emptying, transferring and filling take lace While the parts are in the positions slibwn in Fig. 4 it being understood that the di mensions, arrangements and timing is such that the various steps are fully carried out in the indicated manner. It will thus be seen that the material, in separate, inde pendent charges,'is subjected to progressive treatments in the chambers 1, 2 and 3 and linally passes out of the latter chamber, in a lolly treated condition. As the gear 14; continues to rotate in the'direction of the arrows in Figs. 2 and d, the eccentricpon tion 15 thereby will finally engage the pinion 16 and will. force the same in a direction away from the shaft 10 and thereby with draw the tongue 24 from the space a. As soon as the tongue 2% is moved down far enough, the spring; 3O Will swing it into engagement with the abutment collar 31. lhe position of the latter predetermines the point at which the tongue 24. engages the threaded shaft 25 and consequently the portion thereof which is to be traversed by said tongue and thus predetermines the period oi time during which treatment of the material in the several shelling chambers takes place. lhe parts are new again in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the-engage ment of the tongue 24: with the shaft 25 maintains the pinion 16 out of engagement with the gear 14. The operations described hereinbel ore are new again repeated, it

being understood that this sequence in the operative steps is repeated over and over again during any operative period of the machine.

As the paddle wheels 37, 37, 37, as the case may be are rotated, the paddles 38., 38, 353 under the influence of centrifugal force are laid against or caused to engage the grain or the like to be shelled or otherwise treated in the chambers l, 2 and 3, the arrangement being such that said paddles may easily yield under any pressures exerted bv the material in question. As the paddles do not engage the lining '36 of the shelling chambers at any time, abutments or stops for said paddles are not required.

ln the operation at the machine the cam disk 57 is rotated, and by acting upon'the free ends of the levers 54: therefore maintains the closing plate 49 in the closed position shown in Fig. 15, or permits it to assume the open position shown in Fig. 14. The length of time during which the closing plate 49 is retained in its closed position, and the length of time in which it occupies Ill) ' from passing out of the same into the maa fixed open position is predetermined by the positions of the sections 58 and 590i the cam disk 57 in other words, as long as the free ends 55 of the levers 54 ride along the peripheral surfaces of the cam disks 57 the closing plate 49 will be held against the funnel 47 and will prevent any material chine, while during such time as the said ends 55 are in the recess 60, the closing plate 49 will occupy a fixed open position in which the material is free-to pass from the funnel 47 into the machine. Thus, by adjusting the sections 58 and 59 to increase the circumferential length of the peripheral surfaces and correspondingly reducing the dimensions of therecess 60, or vice versa, the exact amount of material, or in other words, themaximum quantity of the charge may be accurately predetermined and controlled in an absolutely automatic manner. It will be obvious, if desired, that other arrangements for accomplishing the same or a similar result may besubstituted for the devices described herein.

It will be seen that in the present 'machine all of the shelling. chambers simultaneously contain grain or other material,

- so that during a given period oftime, the

shelling or other treatment takes place simultaneously in all of the chambers.

After the treating period has passed, it is followed by a likewise predetermined period of time, during which a charge of completely treated material is discharged from the terminal chamber 3, after which partly treated charges of the material are transferred from the shelling chamber 2 to the shelling chamber 3 and then from the shelling chamber 1 to the chamber 2; after the transfer from the chamber 1 has takenplace a new charge is introduced into the same as previously set forth. The maximum capacity of the machine is thus utilized at all times for the intended purpose, and at the same time, the duration of the shelling operation may be accurately adjusted by the adjusting arrangements hereinbefore described; this adjustment of the'shelling periods is entirely independent of the given period of time during which discharge of material, transfer thereof from one chamber to the other and the introduction of anew charge takes place. It is thus possible to subject the material to treatments of" any desired duration of time or of any other predetermined characteristics; in other words the removal, transference and intro ductionof the material does not haveany bearing upon the length and character of the treatment thereof. Y

The arrangement of paddles avoids unde-f I sirable smashing of the material, renders 13. These sections are capable of inde en ent movements and may yield indepen ently under the action of the material under treatment. With the above arrangements, a complete and uniform shellin or other treatment is provided with a minimum of power, and at the same time, the efliciency of the machine is materially increased. The kernels or other material when in the shelling chambers are forced to assume the form of a band-like layer which passes between the paddles and the lining of the tively small depth; as a result of this the shelling1 operation may progress at a relatively igh speed. The arrangement further is such that abutments for the addles are not necessary as the length of t e paddles is so determined that, in their radial positions upon the paddle wheel, they just pass the lining of the shelling chambers and are capable of moving rearwardly with respect to 'the direc tion .of operation. band of material may as' a matter of fact bereduced in depth to the thickness of a single kernel.

As previously stated, the admission of machambers and thus has a uniform and rela-" The terial into the machine is so controlledthat the quantityof the charge, and the period of admission thereof is capable of being easily adjusted to meet the requirements of any existing conditions.

Various changes in the specific form material in a plurality of steps for a given period of time, discharging the fully treated charge at the end of said period of time, then successively transferring the other charges for successive treatments and subsequently to this transfer introducing a new charge of material.

2. A machine for treating grain and the like comprising a plurality of intercommunicating shelling chambers adapted to simultaneously contain charges of material, means whereby treatment of the material is simultaneously effected in all of said chambers fora given period of time and. means whereby said material is successively .dis-

.is introduced into the machine.

3. A machine for treating grain and the like comprising a plurality of shelling chambers, movable covers for said chambers, a shaft, means in said chambers for treating the material, driving mechanism including a pinion, a pivoted lever, means on said shaft adapted to adjust said covers to their open positions, a gear carried by said shaft and adapted to be meshed with said pinion and driven thereby, and an eccentric section on said gear, adapted to disengage said pinion from said gear and thereby bring said shaft to a standstill.

i. A machine for treating grain and the like comprising a plurality of shelling chambers, movable covers therefor, a shaft, means on said shaft for adjusting said covers to open positions, a, lever, a pinion journailed upon said lever and comprising part of a driving mechanism, agear mounted on said shaft adapted to mesh with said pinion and to be driven thereby, an eccentric combined With said gear adapted to disengage the pinion therefrom. a screw-threaded shaft, a tongue carried by said lever and arranged to engage said shaft to maintain the pinion out of engagement with said gear, said tongue being movable by said screw threads along said shaft and finally disengaged therefrom to re-engage said pinion with said gear and an adjustable abutment adapted to predetermine the point of engagement of said tongue with said screwthreaded shaft.

5. A machine for treating grain and the like comprising a plurality of shelling chambers, movable covers therefor, means whereby said covers are periodically adjusted to open positions, gearing for actuating said means, mechanism for disconnect-- ing said gearing at a predetermined point and adjustable means controlling the period of time during which the gearmg remains disconnected.

6. In a machine of the kind described, the combination of a filling hopper, a closure for controlling the same, a lever connected Witlnsaid closure, an operating shaft, and a recessed cam-disk adapted to engage said lever and automatically operate said closure to and from its open and closed positions, said can1-disk consisting of two sections adjustable relatively to each other to vary the dimensions of the recess and the peripheral surface of said cam-disk and thereby predetermine the periods of time during which said closure occupies its open and closed positions.

l". in a machine of the kind described, the combination of a filling hopper, a closure "for controlling the same, a lever connected With said closure, an operating shaft, a recessed can1-disk adapted to engage said lever and automatically operate said closure to and from its open and closed positions, said camdisk consisting of two sections adjustable relatively to each other to vary the dimensions of the recess and the peripheral surface of said cam-disk and thereby predetermine the periods of time during which said closure occupies its open and closed positions and a scale and co-operating mark on said cam-disk sections for indicating the adjustment thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

lllARTIN HOFF. 

